Mr. Ray Marr of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust and an avid lover of purple martins gave a public tour today of this property in Barrington. The Pic-Wil Nature Preserve, named after the former land owners Picerelli and Wilson, became a Barrington Land Conservation Trust property in 1987. The property was once the home to a bottling factory known as Deep Rock Water Company. Today, the property has three large meadows, a small forest and a salt marsh on the upper reaches of Narragansett Bay. This property is a haven for birds. In fact it is known for its purple martins as they nest and resort here in the late spring and into the summer. The purple martin is a type of swallow, and here at Pic-Wil they reside in one of several gourd rack nests. At the time of this hike there were 53 nesting purple martins and over 100 in total. There are several bird boxes here as well as there is an attempt to attract the Eastern Bluebird. House wrens, hawks, and ospreys were also spotted here. The property has been home to deer, coyote, fox, weasels, squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits as well. The small network of trails here lead you through the fields, the forest, and into the salt marsh. There is an active bee hive here on the property as part of a local pollination project. From the property you can see the Conimicut Lighthouse and across the bay to Warwick, North Kingstown, and Prudence Island. The property is not open to the public except when guided tours are offered. The tours are usually posted on their website or Facebook page. For more information contact the Barrington Land Conservation Trust.

After walking the northern end of the East Bay Bike Path, I decided to finish what I started. The southern end of the oldest bike path in the state winds along the former Providence, Warren, and Bristol Railroad through Barrington, Warren, and Bristol. Along the way there are several points of interest as the paved path passes through the East Bay neighborhoods. Starting at Haines Park, one of the oldest State Parks, I started making my way south. Almost immediately I could hear the sounds of the dog park just beyond the trails and woods to the left. Soon the bike path crosses the lower end of the Annawomscutt Brook just before it dumps into Allins Cove. Immediately after that the bike path makes its first of several road crossings in Barrington at Bay Spring Avenue. To the right is a large brick building that was once a mill. It is now a condominium building. This section of Barrington was its industrial center will mills producing leather and lace products. This building is the only surviving building of that era. Also at this road crossing is a memorial to residents of West Barrington that have lost their lives in wars. Next the bike path crosses Alfred Drowne Road in the neighborhood that was once known as Drownville where one of several railroad depots were located in Barrington. The neighborhood was known for its oyster operations and the land was mostly owned by the Drowne family and later the Blount family known locally for their current clam shacks and seafood products. After crossing Washington Road the bike path enters a half mile stretch of trees and residential neighborhoods before coming to Little Echo Pond. Here, and the surrounding ponds, there was once an icing operation, but the icehouse that sat on the opposite side of the pond is long gone. On each side of the bike path there are small Barrington Land Conservation Trust properties with short trail systems. Both Lombardi Park and Andreozzi Nature Preserve are marked with signs at their trailheads. Just before South Lake Drive on the right was the location of the Nayatt Depot, the next railroad stop in Barrington. After crossing South Lake Drive you will notice the greens of the Rhode Island Country Club to the right. This golf course is one of the most prominent ones in the state hosting the CVS Charity Classic each year. The next road crossing is Middle Highway, after crossing it the bike path passes several trails on the right. These trails are part of Veterans Park which surrounds Brickyard Pond. Today the pond is used for mostly fishing. In years past, there were mills in the area that made bricks. Clay pits in the area supplied the material to make the bricks. Workers would dig these massive pits and in time the pits would fill with water. After the operations ceased in the area and the pumps shut down, the pits filled with water. Hence, the creation of Brickyard Pond. Many buildings on the East Side of Providence were built with the bricks made in Barrington. The bike path also passes the Bayside YMCA before approaching County Road. Just before the main road there is a plaza on the right that offers several shops for a break. There was also a train depot here. On the left is the Daily Scoop, a local ice cream shop. After crossing Route 114, the bike path then passes through a tunnel of trees, then passes Police Cove Park, before emerging out to the Barrington River. Here is the first of two bridges in Eastern Barrington that connect the southern end of New Meadow Neck to Barrington and Warren respectively. The first bridge, crossing the Barrington River offers view of the river northerly toward Hundred Acre Cove. The view to the south is that of is similar of that of the second bridge that crosses the Palmer River. They both look toward the bridges that carry Route 114 over the water crossings and the marinas beyond them. The two rivers come together just about a half mile south to form the Warren River. After crossing the second bridge you are in Warren. You will notice the large brick building to the south that once was the home to American Tourister, a maker of travel luggage. To the north is Grinnel Point with its windswept grass. The bike path then starts to turn to the south and into the heart of Warren. Houses and side streets become very frequent in this stretch. To the left you first pass Belcher Cove and its wooded shoreline. At the Brown Street crossing and to the left you will notice the remains of an old brick wall by the fenced in area owned by National Grid. This wall was once part of the old power station that was used by the railroad. Soon you will start to see the steeples of the nearby churches through the cluster of homes. The bike path then crosses Market Street and Child Street, passing a Dels Lemonade, before coming to a large parking area behind Town Hall, Fire Station, and Police Station. It is in this area that a spur line to Fall River split from the main track and headed east. The East Bay Bike Path follows the former line to Bristol from here. (The Warren Bike Path to the east follows a section of the spur trail). After passing a well-placed bicycle shop and Franklin Street the bike path comes out to Main Street. There is a traffic light with a crosswalk here. It is a very busy intersection, do not attempt to cross without using the crosswalk and light. After crossing the street the bike path continues south and soon passes Burrs Hill Park. The park offers basketball courts, tennis courts, and a ball field. There are also free concerts here. Through the park you can see the water and Warren Town Beach. The bike path continues through residential neighborhoods after passing under Bridge Street through a tunnel that replaced a former railroad bridge. The bike path is also flanked by post and rail fence for quite a while. Soon the bike path passes an area known as Jacobs Point to the right. The large salt marsh, abundant with cattails and wildflowers, offers a single trail to the beach. Just after Jacob’s Point the bike path enters Bristol and soon comes to the McIntosh Wildlife Refuge. This Audubon property spans from Route 114 to the Warren River on both sides of the bike path. To the left is access to the trails through the fields by the Educational Center. To the right is the long boardwalk that reaches out to the river. The bike path then continues through more residential areas with several road crossings before coming to Colt State Park. Along this stretch you can catch glimpses of Narragansett Bay including the Conimicut Lighthouse. After crossing the entrance road to Colt State Park the bike path passes Mill Pond to the right where you are likely to catch glimpses of cormorants and egrets. After passing Poppasquash Road the bike path follows the upper reaches of Bristol Harbor before ending at Independence Park and the edge of Downtown Bristol. Here along the Bristol waterfront you will see several boats docked and the old brick buildings in the distance. If you still have a little walk left in you, the waterfront and downtown offers a great walk on its own

Along with many larger properties with trail systems, the Barrington Land Conservation Trust has several small properties throughout town, most do not have trails. These two small properties adjacent to the East Bay Bike Path do have trails however. The Andreozzi Nature Preserve has a yellow blazed trail that runs from Leann Drive to the Bike Path and a spur trail that leads off the main trail. A little bit of a walk north along the Bike Path is the trail head to Lombardi Park that has a short trail that leads to Little Echo Lake. Along the trail is a granite bench. There are signs along the Bike Path for each of the properties.

This small town owned property in Barrington offers several grass mowed paths that hug the south shore of Prince Pond. There are also several narrow trails that wind throughout the property. There is a very small spot to park a vehicle at the trail-head. It is unmarked however and can be easy to miss along busy County Road. I went on this hike very early (around sunrise) on a Sunday morning. I came across several types of birds here as well as several rabbits.

Along the shore of the Palmer River, this uniquely fragile piece of land is one of the Barrington Land Conservation Trusts most beautiful properties. Partly the reason for that is the fact that it is quite preserved. The property is only open to the general public during tours. Johannis Farm includes open fields, farmland, salt water marshes and wetlands, as well as woodlands. The property is great for bird watching and is home to egrets, ospreys, geese, ducks, and bald eagles. The walk, just over a mile and led by a member of the Land Trust, covers all the features of the property. There are a couple wooden footbridges to cross. They are narrow, tend to be slick, and could be challenging to those with balance issues. It is a very damp site, so proper footwear is required, waterproof boots are highly suggestible. The property extends into Swansea and also abuts the Barney/Bell Preserve in Swansea as well. Please respect the rules of this property and only visit during public tours. You can contact the Barrington Land Conservation Trust at info@blct.org to inquire about their next public tour.

Haines Park is one of the oldest State Parks in Rhode Island opening in 1911. At one time prior to the 1938 hurricane there was a pedestrian bridge crossing the cove to Crescent Park (which in the day was one of the largest amusement parks on the east coast). It is mostly known for today for its waterfront access to Bullocks Cove, picnic areas, farmers market, and its ball fields. Essentially its a quiet little community park with the East Bay Bike Path running through it. Today, a 90 degree day here in New England, I decided to hike the short but rather tranquil trails that lie to the east of the bike path and wrap around the ball fields and dog park. I started from a parking area on Narragansett Avenue just east of the bike path. The un-blazed trail leads into the woods for a bit before the first “major” intersection. I opted to go to the right staying parallel to the bike path. Many side trails veered off to the right to the bike path and many to the left toward the ball fields. After a bit I came to another intersection. I opted to take the lower path which turned east and then eventually north. This trail had a couple paths that led to some obvious wetlands. The trail eventually ended at an opening at the road. There was a trail to the left that I followed back as it ran parallel and above the trail I was previously on. This trail eventually led back to the main trail I came in on. I briefly explored a trail that led to the dog park. A very aware beagle made my presence known as I approached the gate. From here I retraced my steps back to the car. I came across several birds, squirrels, and chipmunks on this hike. I also noticed that the wild berries are in bloom.

Today I was accompanied by a co-worker on this exploratory hike. I came across this site while researching another site that I had recently hiked. I did not find much of anything about it other than an article in a local on-line newspaper that stated that the town was looking to make improvements to the trail. That article was a few years old. I really had no idea of the trails distance, whether it were passable, and so forth. We set out from a small grass parking area on Linden Road where there is signage for the trail. The first half mile of the trail is a wide flat path and is ideal not only for hikers, but for walkers and joggers as well. There are occasional boardwalks over muddy spots. A stream is off in the woods a bit to the right. At the end of the first section is a small pond. After crossing Kent Street the trail continues on the right side of the stream. Signage here calls it off as the Sowams Trail. The trail is much narrower and root bound in areas as it follows the shore of the stream. After the next crossing (by the school) the trail continues along the stream becoming narrower and muddier before exiting at Christine Drive. There is no signage at this end and the trail is almost non-existence at the very end as the trail squeezes between a fence and stream. We then retraced our steps back to the car. I was also pleasantly surprised by the wildlife sightings. We came across one rabbit, two ducks, and three deer.